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Cost & financial aid brief

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# North Carolina State University at Raleigh Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/admissions/)[Majors](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does NC State cost after financial aid?

For North Carolina State University at Raleigh, the published cost of attendance is $26,425, with in-state tuition and fees at $8,799 and out-of-state at $32,847. Room and board accounts for $14,332 of that total.

Financial aid reduces the sticker price substantially: the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $17,303, a savings of $9,122. Aid covers about 35% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

That average net price sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,669. Azimuth ranks the university #430 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the affordability pillar for North Carolina State University at Raleigh falls at the 70th percentile. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $17,303, a level above the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,669.

Those averages extend from $6,382 in the low-income band to $24,652 in the high-income band. Median federal student debt among completers who borrowed is $20,121, a figure above the median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $45.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $6,382; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $8,758; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $13,334; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $20,087; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $24,652.

Pell Grant recipients make up 19.6% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,270.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$6,382

**$30–48K**
$8,758

**$48–75K**
$13,334

**$75–110K**
$20,087

**$110K+**
$24,652

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$17,303**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 35% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $9,122, but the size of that reduction differs across family incomes.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s range from $6,382 in the lowest income band to $24,652 in the highest, a spread of $18,270 between the two ends. The pattern is one of lower average net prices at lower incomes, rather than an individual aid package.

The spread describes a pricing structure that scales with family income, not a flat discount.

For aid recipients from families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $6,382, while families in the $48,001–$75,000 band see an average of $13,334 and those earning over $110,000 average $24,652. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,270.

Azimuth ranks North Carolina State University at Raleigh #430 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $26,425, with in-state tuition and fees at $8,799 and room and board at $14,332.

Aid covers about 35% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $9,122. The average net price for aid recipients is $17,303, which is above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,669.

The median federal student debt at completion is $20,121, with 85.7% of federal aid recipients borrowing federal loans. That median is above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $45.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $23,000. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for a borrower with the median federal debt is $229.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowers who complete a degree at North Carolina State University at Raleigh face a median debt of $20,121. Against the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), the university's median is above by $45.

The share of undergraduates with federal loans is 85.7%. Parents who borrow through [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) face a median debt of $23,000.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 44% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $25,393 per borrower. Of those borrowers, 43% held federal loans averaging $19,015 and 7% held private loans averaging $37,306.

Four years after completion, graduates of North Carolina State University at Raleigh earn a median of $75,943, a figure in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $2,587 less than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that falls in the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix suggest a typical outcome of $75,943, with a downside scenario of $53,483 and an upside scenario of $99,572. For borrowers, the median federal student debt at completion is $20,121, a level that is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $45.

If repaid over ten years, that debt implies an estimated monthly payment of $229.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $23,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $229.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$23,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$292/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 17.2% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 7.7% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 3.7% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.4% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$20,121

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$23,000

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$229/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$292/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$521/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $75,943, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.3%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.